Fever at Dawn

Gr 9 Up—Miklós, grateful to be alive after release from a concentration camp, is not yet in the clear. His lungs are not healthy, and he has a fever that comes and goes. Undaunted, he writes identical letters to 117 eligible Hungarian girls (also concentration camp survivors), hoping to find a soul mate. Lili, also ill but recovering, writes back. She has the same inner strength and will to survive, and they don't mind putting a bit over on the hospital authorities if it means they can spend time together. This story, translated from Hungarian by Elizabeth Szász, is based on letters between the author's parents. Miklós and Lili's story is told by their son, and it can be jarring when the narrator switches from referring to "Miklós" to calling him "my father" from time to time. However, knowing the son exists informs readers that the courtship was successful. Narrator Arthur Morey handles the accents well. His reading is suitably matter-of-fact—the characters have been through so much that nothing, from impotence to conversion to Catholicism, is too awkward to discuss.